


The Envelope

by Chandlure



Category: One Piece
Genre: Drama, Family, Fate, Father and son reunion, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death, Regret, Reunion, Violence, envelope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-06 20:34:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chandlure/pseuds/Chandlure
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fourteen years ago on her deathbed Usopp's mother handed him two envelopes, one for himself and the other for his father. With them were explicit instructions, he was not to open his until he was reunited with his father. Now a twist of fate gives Usopp the chance to fulfill his mother's wish, and reconcile with the one person he set out to find.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_The Envelope_

Bachina lay against the stark white sheets of her bed, sweat dripping down her face and neck, her breath coming out in painful bursts.

"Momma?" Usopp having been told off by the doctor for making too much noise cautiously walked up to his mother's side and sat at the edge of the bed. He lifted her hand into his two small ones and laid a kiss on it. "Doc says you wanted me?" She coughed violently, her body shaking viciously with each heave. "Mommy!" Usopp's eyes filled with tears, his tiny hands gripping her larger one more tightly. "Should I get Doc? Do you want water?"

Bachina closed her eyes and shook her head, a small sad smile crossing her pretty features, "no. Love." Feebly she took her hand from his and touched his face tenderly, tracing his features, "you look so much like your father." She ran her fingers through his hair, "you even have his unruly locks."

Usopp's cheeks puffed, "not unruly, _awesome_."

Bachina laughed weakly, and shook her head."Usopp, Love, Mommy needs you to listen to what she's about to say okay?" Usopp nodded, crawling upward on the bed so that he could lean his head on her chest, his tiny fists gripping the fabric of her green shirt as he snuggled beside her.

"Yes, Mommy."

"Usopp, I am not long for this world. Even now, I can feel that my time is almost near." Usopp sat up and opened his mouth, closing it sharply when she pressed a finger to his lips, "listen." Usopp glared defiantly, his eyes flashing. "Before I go, there are a few things that I need you to understand, Love." Bachina closed her eyes and pulled her son back down to lay beside her, her fingers calmly running through his hair as she thought about how best to explain what she needed to say to the tiny seven year old boy that lay beside her.

"I miss Daddy as much as you do, Love. You know that right?" Usopp nodded against her shoulder, "and that I love him as much as I love you. But no matter how much I love your father, how much I miss him, I don't feel sorry for your father leaving. He is a very brave man, and the sea was calling to him. Family life didn't suit him." Bachina smiled and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead, "that doesn't mean that he didn't love us, or that he doesn't miss us. Or you, he would be very proud of you, Usopp. You are growing up so well."

She sighed, and turned on her side, pulling him more tightly to her ready for the onslaught of tears that she knew were to come with her next sentence. "You must understand Usopp, Daddy is not coming back."

Usopp pushed against her roughly, his hands balling up as he fought the tears that threatened to fall." NO! Daddy is coming back, he's coming back and you are going to be okay because he's going to get you that special medicine you need to get better."

"Usopp, no. Daddy is not coming back," Bachina said firmly.

Usopp bit his lip and looked at his lap as fat tears trailed down his face, "you're lying. Daddy is coming back, he has to come back." Bachina pulled her son back down against her and let him sob against her shoulder. She hugged him tightly, and hid her face in his hair as she felt her own tears well up.

She rubbed her hand soothingly across his back and pulled back to look down Usopp as his crying had slowed to silent sobs. "Baby, listen to Mommy. Daddy may not be coming back, but when you are old enough you will find him." Usopp sniffed and sat up rubbing his eyes.

"I'll find him?" Bachina nodded her head, and sat up a little.

"Usopp, take the two envelopes from the top drawer of my desk over there."

Usopp blinked before going to do the task he was told to do. Slowly he slipped off the too high bed and ran to the desk at the other side of the room. He slipped into her desk chair and pulled open the top drawer. He hummed as he looked through the desk moving over his mother's sketchbooks and pencils. He caught sight of a yellow envelope under a large black bound book and pulled it out along with its twin. He gently placed back her sketchbooks and closed the drawer before jumping off the chair and handing her the envelopes. He gripped her blanket and used it to pull himself back up onto the bed. sitting on his knees beside her as she took the two envelopes in hand.

"Usopp, I want you to make me a promise."

"Like the pinky promises I make with Kaya?"

Bachina smiled warmly, "sort of like that, yes, Love. Except this one is one you will have to keep when you are older."

Usopp nodded his head in understanding, "oh, okay."

She placed the envelopes on her lap and pointed to the names on top of them, "these have yours and Daddy's names on them. Do you see that?" Usopp crawled closer and stared at the black letters on the fronts off the envelopes. He pointed to the left one, "that one says Usopp, and that one says Yeh, Yoo, Yaw…" Usopp pouted.

"Yasopp, Love."

"And that one says Yasopp," Usopp said proudly as if he had been the one to figure that out on his own." Yasopp? That's a funny name."

"Yasopp is your father's name."

"I thought Daddy was his name," Usopp said, confusion clouding his features.

"Daddy is what you and I call him, Yasopp is what everyone else calls him," Bachina explained. "Along with idiot," she muttered to herself.

"Whatcha say?"

"Nothing, Love." She placed her hands on the envelopes and smiled softly. "The one with your name is yours and the one with his name is his."

Usopp threw her a look that clearly said 'duh', "of course, Mommy."

"I want you to promise that when you are older you will find your Daddy and give this to him for me."

Usopp looked from the envelope to his mother's face, "what's in it?"

Bachina pressed a finger to her lips, "it's a secret. One that you will be let in on when you are older."

Usopp frowned, "oh." He took the envelope with is name on it into his hand, and looked down at it. "Can I open mine?"

Bachina shook her head, "not until you give Daddy his envelope, Love."

"But I can't give it to him until I see him," Usopp said confused.

Bachina touched the tip of Usopp's nose, "exactly."

"But he's not here," Usopp pouted. "I wanna see what's in it!"

Bachina shook her head, "not until you give your father his."

Usopp pouted, "Okay, Mommy. I promise not to open it until I give Daddy his."

_Fourteen Years Later_

Usopp ducked behind a pillar and pulled Nami against him, covering her body with his as three bullets flew past them. "Stay down a minute," he whispered before kneeling and shooting three rounds of lead stars at the closest Marines. His fingers tightened around the handle of the Kuro Kabuto as he burst from his hiding place, swerving and weaving through his fighting crewmates and fallen Marines. He ducked as Luffy sent about ten Marines flying into the air over his head and scowled at his friend's chuckled apology. Luffy landed beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "your arm okay?" Luffy asked, giving him a sidelong glance before sending out another wave of punches.

Usopp wrinkled his nose, "definitely fractured. But I've already used it so might as well keep using it."

"You're a sniper," Luffy said simply.

"And that's a window," Usopp said pointing over his shoulder, swaying to the left in order to avoid another barrage of bullets sent his way. "Your point?"

"You are a sniper, your job relies on the fact that you can snipe things. Can't do much sniping with a useless arm can you? Keep using the hurt arm and it will become useless."

"Nami was in trouble so I helped. Would you rather I let her get hurt?"

Luffy smiled, "course not. I just expect you to use your head. I can be carefree because the rest of you use your heads." Luffy stopped thoughtfully, "'cept Zoro."

"Don't forget Sanji, he's a reckless bastard too." Usopp added with a small laugh, "He protects his hands as much as possible, because like mine, his job relies on it. More than me actually cause he keeps us alive. You can bet if the only way to save one of us was to injure his hands though, he would do it."

"Perhaps," Luffy threw a kick at the nearest Marine. "Bit of a difference when one is being reckless because they feel they are worth less than another crew member, than one protecting another at all costs because they need to."

"I didn't protect Nami to be selfish, Luffy." Usopp snapped irritated, ducking as a Marine came at him and slammed him in the face with his slingshot, knocking the man out.

Luffy sighed, "That isn't what I meant. Damn, I should get Nami or Sanji to explain this, I'm no good." Luffy ran a hand through his hair, a look of irritation crossing his young features. "You protect us because you love us, just like the rest of us protect each other for the same reason. The thing is you feel you can easily be replaced and no one would mourn or be completely devastated if you were to suddenly be gone. Thing is Usopp," Luffy shot himself into the air and spun his body, slamming anyone within a five foot radius into the stone walls of the closest stores.

"That we _would_ care. When you left two years ago, Nami and Chopper wouldn't eat much- I didn't eat much. I was more irritable. Sanji was smoking a lot more, even Zoro, while outside he didn't seem like it fazed him, was training and fighting a lot harder than usual. That was just you leaving the crew. Imagine if something actually happened to you." Luffy stopped for a moment, a dark cloud crossing over his features, "I might actually go as berserk as I did when Ace died."

"Luffy, I shot three pieces of metal so Nami wouldn't get injured, that hardly qualifies for this type of talk." Usopp ran his good hand through his hair, "not to mention, I feel like a sitting duck without being able to attack, it's unnerving."

"Captain's Orders," Luffy said simply, "I am overlooking you disobeying them once because you felt Nami was in trouble. I stand by what I said; you are not to fight until your arm is completely healed." Luffy grabbed his shirt and shoved him behind him when something akin to a cannon ball whizzed towards them. It hit Luffy full force causing the both of them to go catapulting to the floor. Luffy jumped up, pulling Usopp up with him, making sure to stay firmly in front of him. "Usopp, I want you to get out of here. The fight is almost over, and you have done really well, but you are injured and staying any longer can hurt your arm more."

Luffy nodded towards the rest of the crew fighting, grins on their faces. "No one else started this battle injured, and they are still okay now. If you stay here when injured you are just going to distract us. Just go get a drink from the bar and by the time you get out we should be done. Try not to strain your arm okay?"

"I'm not a child, Luffy, nor am I weak!"

Luffy rolled his eyes, "I know that, Idiot. You wouldn't be on this crew if you were, but you are hurt and the battle is almost done anyway." Luffy stretched his arm about twenty meters and grabbed Chopper from where he had been surrounded by Marines and snapped his arm back, sending the small reindeer soaring towards them. Luffy caught him effortlessly. "Chopper, I want you to take a look at Usopp's arm. He used his weapon to protect Nami and I want to make sure he's going to be okay."

Luffy placed Chopper on Usopp's shoulder, and pushed his two comrades away from the battle. "Go find something to drink, maybe go shop for New Years presents!"

"Luffy-"

"Now, Usopp!"

Usopp scowled but stormed off towards the towns square with Chopper in tow. The small reindeer held on tightly as the elder boy picked up his pace and began running, his frustration and anger at his current condition fueling his steps. He shoved open the door to the closest bar, and plopped down at the empty barstool in the corner. He crossed his arms and let his head fall against them. Chopper hopped onto the stool beside him and laughed nervously at the looks they were getting from Usopp's outburst.

"Might I help you?"

"Yeah, just kill me now and get me over it. I'm sure they can find another sniper somewhere, it is the New World."

"Hey, Tanuki, is your owner okay?"

"I am a reindeer and I am not his pet!"

"Yeah, he is my crews emergency food supply," Usopp muttered through his folded arms.

"USOPP! Don't say such things you jerk!" Large tears welled up in Chopper's eyes causing the elder boy to wince.

He held up his finger, "may we have two waters?" He dug into his pocket and placed two Beri on the counter. "Thank you." He placed his head back on the counter, groaning when Chopper placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"Usopp, I need to see your arm." The young doctor shook his shoulder gently in order to get his attention.

"Leave me alone, Chopper, my arm is fine," Usopp muttered a small thanks to the bartender when he heard the clink of a water filled glass being placed by his head.

"Fine," Chopper grinned, "than I guess I can just leave your arm as is, let it get infected and then in 5-6 weeks amputate it. Then you will have to go back to Syrup Village with nothing but one arm and a story of half and adventure."

Usopp lifted his head from his arms and glared deeply at his friend, "you know. You used to be cute, but now you're just a smartass."

Chopper smiled brightly, "I learn from the best!"

Usopp smiled and turned, so that he was facing away from the bar towards the patrons. He took off his sweater exposing the white bandages that ran from his shoulder to his wrist. He let his eyes travel around the bar as Chopper set to work. "Damn it, Chopper that hurt!" He winced as tears formed in his eyes in reaction to Chopper poking his forearm.

"Sorry," Chopper said softly before frowning and shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Usopp, but you set back your healing another three weeks at least. You won't be able to use your slingshot for at least two months now."

" _Two_ _months_!?" Usopp shrank back slightly at the sudden silence and glare of the patrons around them. He smiled apologetically and leaned closer to the reindeer, "Chopper, I am a _sniper_. That means that I need both my arms! What the hell am I supposed to do for two freaking months!?"

"You can still snipe!" Chopper said enthusiastically, "you just can't use a slingshot!"

"But my slingshot is my weapon!"

"You know how to use other things besides your slingshot, don't you?"

"I am a sniper, Chopper, what kind of question is that?"

"Can you use a gun?"

Usopp nodded thoughtfully, "yeah. About as well as I can use a slingshot actually."

"Well, you can shoot a gun with one hand."

"Just because I can use a gun doesn't mean I like using them!"

"Either you use a gun or you can't fight unless it's with canons for the next two months."

"I can't carry a canon around, Chopper."

"Then I guess you need to use a gun."

"I don't even have a gun, nor do I have the money on me to get one. And Nami won't give me any either, we lost a lot of money on Luffy's last party, so now we're only buying supplies with it."

"If it's the difference between keeping you or someone else alive and keeping the- oh right, it's Nami."

"By the time Nami gives me that money I'll be able to use the slingshot again." Usopp propped his chin into his hand and breathed heavily through his nose, "I could make a weapon using left over materials I suppose. Perhaps one of those guns that we found that one time that we don't use 'cause they no longer work. If I can alter one so that it takes my slingshot ammo, that may be good. Might take a couple days but it's probably the best compromise I'll be able to get." Usopp stopped to push his hair from his eyes, "I may need Franky's help with taking the gun apart and stuff but that'll probably not be an issue."

Chopper sat back against his chair, his glass of water held tightly between his hooves as he nodded at Usopp's words, "see? It won't be so bad!" He took a sip of water, his eyes staying on Usopp, ""why don't you like using guns?"

"Snipers with the intent to kill use guns; I have no such intent. My slingshot does what it needs to do without, usually, killing a person."

"But you're a pirate."

"And you a doctor and pirate, doesn't that contradict that Hippocratic Oath thing that you guys have to take?"

Chopper frowned for a moment, "I suppose you're right."

Usopp sighed and turned to take a sip from his water, "listen, if it came down to protecting one of you then I wouldn't even hesitate to kill the person threatening you guys, but to carry a gun, it's just different. I don't expect to have to kill anyone- it's not in my nature. I don't know, maybe I am just being stupid."

"Not wanting to kill people despite your profession does not make you stupid, Lad. That's quite brave actually."

Usopp froze in his spot, his breath catching in his throat. He recognized that voice, he may not have heard it in fourteen years, but it was one he would never forget. "S-Shanks?" he asked after a moment's silence. He stared into Chopper's eyes trying to get a glimpse of the man behind him through Chopper's large orbs but it was to no avail as the small reindeer kept moving his eyes back and forth between Usopp and the other man slight fear and curiosity clouding his eyes. There was a chuckle and Usopp shifted to glare up at the elder pirate defiantly.

"We've met before I presume?"

"You're Usopp," the tall gray man behind Shanks said.

Shanks' eyes widened as he bent down until his face was two inches from Usopp's, "now that you mention it, Ben, he does look like Yasopp." Shanks reached a hand to push Usopp's hair from his eyes, "has that fiery look in his eyes and everything." He pulled his hand back when Usopp leaned his head back and tapped the appendage away with his right hand. "He even hit me like Yasopp did when I first met him."

"You're lucky he didn't shoot you in the face with something from his slingshot like Yasopp did." Ben commented dryly, his eyes falling to the slingshot peeking out from Usopp's bag. "His ammo seems a bit more dangerous than Yasopp's old stuff. You get way too close to people, Idiot."

"OI!" Usopp snapped, dragging their attention back to him as he shifted his position on the barstool so that he could lean against the bar and cross his legs. Chopper remained on the stool beside him, his mouth closed tight as he watched the interaction with wide eyes. "My father- is he still on your crew?"

"Would you like to see him?"

"No!" Usopp shouted a bit too loudly; he took an unsteady breath before shaking his head softly. "I mean no, I'm not quite ready for that yet. I do need a favour of you though, if it isn't too much trouble."

"I think we could do that, what is it you need?"

Usopp pulled his bag into his lap and rummaged around it for a bit before pulling out a large yellow envelope covered in a clear plastic coating. 'Yasopp' was clearly scrawled across the front. He handed it over to Ben who had reached over his captain's shoulder for the article. Ben tucked it inside his jacket, and nodded. "Please give that to my father, it's waited long enough. It's extremely important, it's from my mother."

The door to the bar slammed open and Sanji poked his head inside, "Oi, Usopp! Chopper! We need to get going, they called in reinforcements!"

"We'll be right there, Sanji!" Zoro ran past behind Sanji in the exact opposite direction of the ship. "You may wanna catch Zoro; He's going the wrong way."

Sanji turned around and noticed Zoro turn behind a corner, "fucking shit Marimo!" Sanji cursed, his cigarette jumping between his lips. "I got him. Be at the ship in five minutes, they are closing in on us."

"Meet you there," Usopp called as Sanji disappeared from the door in the direction Zoro ran. "Okay, so apparently we are on the run… _again_ \- nothing new there." Usopp grabbed his sketchbook and turned to the back page. He ripped a pencil from his bag and scribbled the Thousand Sunny's address, and the Den Den Mushi number for the ship. "If he needs anything explained he can call or write the ship – someone is always there even if I am not, so I can always get back to him worst case.

"I haven't time to explain now, but he may want to return to our village to say bye to my mother. I implore you to let him take that leave if he asks- for closure if nothing else. He'll come back, trust me, there is nothing left for him there. Not sure there ever was anything there for him, but now there really isn't." Usopp fell silent for a moment before shaking the sad thoughts from his mind.

He scribbled another number on the paper and wrote Kaya beside it. "Kaya is my childhood friend; she'll have all of the information he needs if he goes to Syrup. Just make sure he calls before going to the village so that she can meet him in front of our house with the key- I gave it to her to hold onto."

"Usopp!" Nami had stuck her head in and called for her crewmate, his eyes darkening in worry when she saw the three men in front of her two friends.

"I'm coming, Nami!" Usopp stood and brushed himself off; waving her off, "go. We'll catch up with you in a minute." He smiled, looking Shanks in the eye after Nami left. "Thank you, I hope next time we meet it'll be a longer meeting." Usopp hesitated for a moment, searching the elder man's eyes uncertainly before quickly hugging Shanks, "give that to my dad from me." He froze when he felt Shanks return the hug with his good arm and press a kiss to his forehead.

"Your father is extremely proud of you. And he has never stopped thinking about you, just remember that." Usopp nodded against his shoulder before pulling away. He bowed deeply before turning and pulling Chopper out of the bar and into the crowded streets. Shanks, Ben and Lucky watched as Usopp stopped momentarily to pull a slightly shorter boy with a straw hat in the right direction before disappearing into the crowd.

"So that's Yasopp's son, eh?" Lucky asked around his bone of meat, "can't say I see it. Kid has way too much intelligence in his eyes to be that idiot's child."

Shanks smiled and walked towards the door to watch Usopp struggle with his captain, "It's a real shame that Luffy got to him before I did." He chuckled lightly when Usopp slapped the younger boy on the head and screamed at him before shoving him towards their ship. "That kid, he's going to be the best sniper our world has ever seen one day."

Ben went to stand behind Shanks and stared after the two teenagers, "you noticed it too then?"

"The beginnings of awakened Kenbunshoku Haki? It's impossible to have missed. That wasn't what I was talking about however, while that will certainly help, and being with Luffy, he is likely to master that skill, you can tell how skilled he is with the weapon of his choice. I think he even surpassed his father when he was that age."

"You've never seen him before though," Lucky pointed out.

"No," Shanks agreed, "but we've certainly heard about him."

"So what you're saying is those two sweet little boys we met fourteen years ago-"

"Are some of the most dangerous pirates in the sea today?" Shanks smile fell, "Yasopp isn't going to like that."

"What am I not going to like?" Yasopp asked, slamming the door to the bar into his captain's face. He stopped and stared at Shanks for a moment before shrugging and walking to the bar to order a beer.

"AREN'T YOU GOING TO APOLOGIZE?!" Shanks snapped, holding his nose.

Yasopp scoffed, "why? It was your dumbass standing in front of the door. If anything you should apologize to me for being in my way." Yasopp walked up to Ben, "anyway what was it that I wasn't going to like?"

Ben looked to Shanks, "the fact that Usopp is a pirate under Luffy."

Yasopp, who was taking a sip out of his beer, spit it out in surprise all over Shanks. He laughed, "that's funny, Ben. Seriously, what is it that I wouldn't like?"

Lucky swallowed the meat in his mouth, and nodded his head towards the docks, "no joke, 'sopp. That kid that just ran out of here with the Tanuki was Usopp."

"That's impossible; Usopp is in Syrup with his mother and that blonde girl – er."

"Kaya?" Shanks supplied dully, wiping beer from his eyes.

"Yeah, Ka- wait how did you know that?"

Shanks patted his pockets too look for the piece of paper Usopp had meant to give him to see that it wasn't there, "oh-" The door flew open once again hitting Shanks in the face. "Ow."

Ben and Lucky snorted as Usopp poked his head into the bar, his fist tightened into the back of Luffy's collar. "Oh, sorry. Did I hit you?" He cocked his head to the side, "you really shouldn't stand in front of doors. Anyway," he let go of Luffy for one moment to rip out the page in his sketchbook and hand it to Ben. "I forgot to give this to you in my rush. Later!" Usopp waved, stopping to look behind him. He blinked when he noticed Luffy was missing, he sighed when he noticed his captain drooling over a window display. He waved one last time before dragging his captain off once more, shouts of meat being demanded could be heard through the streets with sounds on fists hitting heads and snapping responses of 'wait until we get to the ship. Idiot!'

Yasopp blinked, "was that-"

"Usopp? Yeah, that was, what were you saying about him being in Syrup?"

Yasopp turned to Shanks and dumped his beer on him, "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?!"

"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW!?"

"Why didn't you keep him here?! Luffy is going to get him killed!"

"He can take care of himself," Shanks said almost soothingly, though annoyance at the beer that still ran down his face was present.

"He's nineteen years old! He's still a child," Yasopp snapped, his hands balling into fists. He shook his head for a moment, "I'm going after him." Ben stood in front of him blocking his path, "get out of my way, Ben! I'll drag him back to Syrup by his hair if I have to."

Ben shook his head, "first of all. You suddenly coming in barking orders at him is not going to go well, even you have to realize that. You have been absent for fourteen years, he's more likely to kill you than listen to you at this point. Second, he is on Luffy's crew."

"Exactly, _Luffy's Crew_. His bounty jumped from 30,000,000 Beri to 400,000,000 Beri in less than a _year_! Very dangerous people are after him now! That isn't a place for my son to be."

"And Usopp has been with him almost the entire time," Shanks said, pointing behind him to where old WANTED posters were posted. "I am pretty sure that is the back of his head in Luffy's first WANTED poster there."

Yasopp stormed over to the posters and stared at them hard, "what's your point?"

"My point is, if he hasn't been killed or given up by now he won't be leaving that crew. And if I remember correctly, Luffy is extremely possessive of what he considers his. He won't willingly give up Usopp." Shanks pressed a hand to the back of his head, "and they are the same age, so I am guessing they are probably extremely close." He thought back to when he saw Usopp punch Luffy around just a few minutes prior, "if Luffy lets himself be ordered around and beat like that, their bond is pretty unbreakable, even Ben doesn't hit me that hard."

Lucky thoughtfully chewed on his meat, "I think they are all like that. The orange haired girl hit the green haired swordsman and that blonde guy because they were beating the crap out of each other in the middle of the street."

Shanks laughed, "My favorite was that skeleton getting his ass kicked 'cause he kept asking random girls to see their panties. I have no idea where the hell Luffy found those guys."

Lucky laughed, "I remember that! I didn't think it was possible for a skeleton to bruise."

"CAN YOU BE SERIOUS FOR FIVE MINUTES? THIS IS MY SON'S LIFE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Yasopp snapped.

"Dragon didn't bitch this much to Garp," Shanks whined to Ben, shaking the elder man's arm. "Ben, make him stop."

Ben handed the paper Usopp gave him with his contact information to Yasopp. "There is his contact information, have fun."

Shanks grabbed the paper from Yasopp, "I said stop him, not encourage him!" he whined, slapping Ben's shoulder.

Ben gave him a look that said 'you're pushing it', "I know you didn't just hit me."

Shanks glared at Ben before turning to Yasopp, "you are under no circumstances to call that ship, Yasopp. Cap-, how long has he been gone?" Ben and Lucky stared at him, "oh, who cares, we need to get the idiot before he gets himself killed."

Shanks stormed out of the bar towards the docks, Ben and Lucky at his heels. "Usopp certainly won't kill him, Shanks."

Shanks' face scrunched up, "probably not. But if he starts yelling at his son, and demands that he go back to Syrup, Luffy might lose his temper."

"Do you really think that will happen?"

"Luffy is a Haki user now," Shanks huffed turning into the woods that lead to the docks. "If he loses his temper he may lose control of his Haki."

"And here I was hoping we could actually relax on this island," Ben muttered to himself.

The sounds of guns going off sounded in the distance, causing the group to stop. There was the sound of screaming, then the call of 'Usopp!' followed by a call of, "Chopper, get out of here! We'll be right behind you!"

Ben, Shanks and Lucky stared at each other before rushing towards the docks. Something told Ben it was going to be a long, exhausting evening.

_To Be Continued_

* * *


	2. Last Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings may be murdered after the reading of this chapter. You have been warned ;)

_The Envelope_

_Last Chances_

Usopp and Luffy ran through the woods at full speed, their feet crunching over fallen twigs and other woodsy debris as they weaved their way through fallen tree trunks and overgrown plants. Usopp stopped short and grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest to get him to stop moving when he caught sight of someone ahead of them three clicks to the West. Assuming it to be one of the Marine's Usopp motioned for Luffy to go on ahead of him while he stayed behind to make sure they weren't followed back to the Sunny.

Once Luffy was out of sight Usopp ducked behind a tree and studied the cloaked figure twenty feet away from his hiding spot. The person turned towards him and he froze, sucking in his breath and holding it, hoping he wouldn't be seen. Usopp was unable to see the person's face as it was hidden beneath the long navy blue cloak with gold stars that he was wearing. Definitely wasn't from the Marine's then, bounty hunter perhaps? Their eyes met and almost as if in slow motion the man reached behind himself to grip the rifle that lay across his back and Usopp crouched, his foot pushing against the damp ground ready for him to push off and run away at any given moment. A shot rang and Usopp squeezed his eyes shut, readying himself for the impact.

"Usopp!" Usopp's eyes snapped open and he turned his head to where Nami stood a few yards away from him her hand over her mouth as a bullet whizzed past the top of his head, ruffling his hair. He lifted from his crouch as Nami hurried to his side and gripped his arm catapulting them both forward when the feeling of a rival presence showed up behind them. He stopped Nami from going forward when they were behind the shooter who still had his rifle in his hand and hadn't moved since he shot, almost as if he were frozen.

Usopp planted himself in front of Nami and lifted Kabuto, shooting a red pellet towards a group of Marine's that made their way towards where Usopp, Nami and the Mystery Man stood. A large flaming bird appeared and flew towards the Marines, smashing into them and effectively knocking them off their feet, some falling down the cliff they stupidly stood on the edge of, and others passing out from the impact. "Aurgh!" Usopp dropped his slingshot to the muddy ground and fell to his knees beside it, tears forming in his eyes, "damn-" he gritted his teeth, holding his arm tightly to his stomach and doubling over.

"Usopp!" Nami knelt down beside him and tried to get him to uncurl himself so that she could survey the damage.

The man finally snapped out of his reverie and looked down at Usopp and Nami, "Usopp, are you okay?!"

Usopp looked up at him his curly hair falling into his pain clouded eyes as he glared up at him, confused as to how the mystery man knew his name. "I'm fine." He grabbed Kabuto, before gently pushing Nami off and hauling himself up with his good arm, the Kabuto being used for leverage. He looked down at his injured arm and grimaced, "Luffy and Chopper are really going to have at me now," he muttered to himself. There was rustling to the left and he moved to plant himself firmly in front of Nami as his eyes scanned the trees, "there is someone still out there."

Usopp took a few steps back, careful not to knock into Nami then turned abruptly making sure that there was no one sneaking up behind them. His eyes darted from tree to bush to tree to rock in an attempt to find the best way back to the Sunny. He could hear another group of Marines in the distance, and knew it was only a matter of time before they showed up before them. The sound of a branch snapping made Usopp jump and look around in a paranoid manner, but there was nothing to be seen, well except for the man beside him acting in a similar manner, albeit more manly.

Another shot rang out and Usopp turned to Nami, pulling her towards him as a bullet shot past them. Usopp felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him forward, "Usopp, get her and yourself out of here. I got it, just go!"

Usopp, in pain, confused beyond belief as to who that man was and admittedly scared, followed orders and pushed Nami forward without a second thought. He sprang away from the scene, pulling Nami with him his eyes moving from one tree to the next. His heart leapt into his throat when he heard another gunshot, this one much closer. He immediately stopped despite his better judgment and scanned the area, whilst he saw no one and nothing could be heard- that shot had been too close for comfort. He gritted his teeth and lifted Kabuto; his entire body tensing as rolling pain ran through his arm and fear pumped through the rest of his body.

 _I know the Marines are after us, but to have gotten to the woods so quickly…_ Before he had a chance to react another shot rang through the woods and a bullet tore through the trees from the North East. His head slammed against the tree in front of him as blood poured down from his head. He knelt down, his head falling into his good hand, the Kabuto laying on the floor a couple of feet away. Realising he had been shot Usopp moved his hand over his body in an attempt to find the wound. Slowly his hand rose from his neck, over his ear to the front of his head. His fingers ghosted over a wound that had not been there previously. Ignoring the pain, and took a small mirror from his bag assessing the damage. He grimaced as sticky blood fell into his eyes, but focused on the grimy reflection shown. The bullet had gone through some skin and muscle there, but from what he can tell it had only grazed his skull – Brain damage would not be obtained from the wound. Fainting, and dying from blood loss however, was a possibility as his vision suddenly blurred and his body began to shake- the shock was setting in.

He bit through it, knowing that he had to take care of Nami and that they both were metaphorically and literally not out of the woods. Usopp blindly reached into his bag and pulled out the yellow bandana he had not used in almost two years, tying it firmly across his forehead. With the blood flow stemmed considerably he smiled reassuringly at Nami who had been fretting over him since she saw the blood flowing from his head. He looked around the woods, allowing Nami to help him up while he mapped out complicated diagrams full of mathematical equations in his mind as he calculated the distance the bullet was shot from and where.

He accepted the Kabuto from Nami and leaned heavily against it as he felt himself grow weaker and realised that he had perhaps one more good shot in him before he could no longer shoot properly. He closed his eyes, the mathematical equations whirling in his brain before he suddenly opened his eyes and shot one click South of North East and dropped the Kabuto beside him as a green pellet flew through the air, eventually impacting something. Usopp wasn't sure what, but he hoped it was whoever had hit him.

Usopp coughed, spitting blood out of his mouth. He leaned heavily against the tree behind him as an excruciating burning sensation started to bloom from the wound and a wave of nausea hit him like a ton of bricks. "Nami, get the hell out of here!" Usopp growled as another shot rang through the woods, this time from the North West and an explosion of pain ran through his body, this time originating from his hip, bloomed.

Nami crouched beside him and pressed her hand over the wound, "Usopp!"

Ignoring her, he took his slingshot and shot quickly towards the exact spot where the second bullet had originated from. He used Nami's shoulder to help himself up and gripped the trunk of the tree to keep himself up, "we need to keep moving," Usopp panted and pushed Nami forward as he began to make his way through the path.

"Keep in front of me, keep your head down and continue to move, don't look back," he instructed her, his brain finally putting two and two together and he had realised that whoever was shooting at them was only going after him. If he could somehow get Nami to safety then maybe he can try and focus on whoever had it out for him. Several more bullets flew through the trees and grazed his skin, but none made more than superficial scratches. Finally a path obscured by trees caught Usopp's sharp eye. "Nami, take a left and just keep going. Judging by the angle it takes in the distance it should lead us back to the ship."

"You are going to follow aren't you?"

"Of course," Usopp lied. "I will be right behind you." He pushed her towards the path, "keep looking forward, don't look back no matter what you hear, don't stop until you hit the port."

"Uso-"

"GO!" He pushed her and made after her as if he were to follow, but stopped and watched as she began to run through the path, not looking behind her as he had instructed.

He turned, stumbling against the dirt floor and struggled to stay on his feet. There, in front of him stood no less than fifteen to twenty Marines and all of them had their weapons aimed towards him. Usopp swallowed, fear for his life and pain filling his senses. Another shot rang from somewhere in the middle of the group, his right kneecap was hit this time. The impact caused him to slip and slam to the ground, a cry of pain leaving his lips before he could stop it.

He sat up in the grass panting, spots clouded his vision and blood flowed from his wounds. He couldn't move he'd lost too much blood; he was in way too much pain. His weapon lay stationary beside his body, but he just couldn't grip it, and even if he could, he was in no condition to go up against almost twenty Marines. His hand twitched towards it anyway and a bullet was put through it as a result. "That's my drawing hand!" Usopp snapped, more to himself than anyone in particular as blood began to slip through his fingers and coloured the soil beneath them.

Ignoring the gaping hold that now adorned his hand, he weakly reached for his Kabuto for comfort if nothing else, when another shot sounded- from the back, East side, Usopp's brain supplied, this time the bullet hitting him centimeters from his heart. Usopp fell back against the ground, his head cracking against a rock that stood proudly behind him. His vision was swimming, and he was now so weak he couldn't move. He heard shots and opened his eyes to see one, two, three, five Marines going down, then shouts that sounded suspiciously like the man's from earlier and much to his chagrin, Nami. The last thing Usopp registered before he passed were Nami's shouts of his name.

o0o

"Usopp!" Nami pointed her Sorcery Clima-Tact and pointed it towards the Marines heading towards Usopp, " _Gust Sword!"_ The Marines fell to the floor unable to stand against the strong winds of the weapon. "Usopp, hold on!"

Feeling that the man could handle the rest Nami ran towards Usopp and knelt beside him. She pressed her hand against his chest, and her forehead against his. "Usopp, c'mon it's time to wake up now." She moved her hand to his neck and took his pulse, happy that she could feel one, even if it was a bit too slow for her liking. She frowned and cupped Usopp's face between her hands tapping his cheeks lightly, "Usopp, I said it's time to get up now."

A shadow fell over her and Nami looked up to see the man's frightened face above hers, it was then she realised that she didn't hear anymore shooting or shouting. She looked around the man to see that everyone in the area sans them, were on the floor unconscious or dead. "Who are you?" She asked, curious as to why some random guy would help her and Usopp out.

"Yasopp," he answered staring down at Usopp with sad eyes, "I'm his father."

"I'm, Nami, one of Usopp's crewmates," Nami turned back to Usopp and pushed his curls from his hair, "Usopp, wake up you Idiot!" She tutted and shook her head, "it's no use he's lost way too much blood." There was shuffling behind her and she turned to watch Yasopp untie his cloak and drop down next to her, his rifle falling uselessly to the floor behind him. He lifted himself slightly in order to get the salve and bandages from his pockets before laying them on his cloak. He began to work slowly, first pulling a canteen from behind his back and pouring some of the cool water on the wound on Usopp's forehead. Gently he pressed the bottom of his cloak to the wound in an attempt to clean it.

Nami pulled Usopp's head into her lap and held back his hair as Yasopp worked on the wound. "There was no damage done to his brain," Yasopp confirmed, causing Nami to breathe out in relief. His eyes met hers as she shifted to hold Usopp better before moving back to his work. He opened the salve and gingerly pressed it into the wound, wincing when Usopp's face scrunched up in discomfort. He took the bandages that lay by his knee and unwrapped them from their protective covering as Nami lifted up Usopp' head so that Yasopp could wrap the bandages around his head. His hand stopped midway to stroke his cheek lovingly.

"Stop," Nami said firmly causing Yasopp to pull away from Usopp's cheek, "you abandoned him. You haven't a right touching him that way; I shouldn't even be letting you patch him up." Yasopp was about to retort when a shallow groan left Usopp's lips as he shifted in Nami's hold. Gently she lay his head back in her lap and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Usopp, can you head me?" Yasopp whispered, leaning down to talk into the teen's ear. Tears fell from his eyes onto Usopp's face, leaving small trails behind as they fell, "Usopp." Usopp scrunched up his face and nodded very slightly before opening his blurry eyes, "Usopp, it's me, Yasopp."

Usopp pushed himself closer to Nami and swallowed, his eyes closing, "Y-asopp?" He reached out slowly and touched his father's chest before his hand fell uselessly to the ground.

Yasopp leaned over him, pushing back the curly hair that stuck to his forehead. "Usopp, _Usopp_! Wake up!" Yasopp pressed his hand against his son's cheek and tapped it lightly, but it was no use, Usopp's body slumped lifelessly against Nami's causing both of them to sigh. Yasopp sat back on his legs and stared down at his son with a contemplative look.

"On Sniper Island," Nami looked up at Yasopp in shock, recognizing the name from Usopp's stories, "you would probably know it better as Moldor Island as the name has been changed over the years; it was the island that Usopp was actually born on. We have a superstition that says when one is out at sea and they have a dream about someone when they land on the next island they will meet that person."

Nami pulled Usopp closer to her as she listened and watched Yasopp work on Usopp's other wounds, "is that so?"

"Aye. They also say that the condition the person is in, in your dream is how you will see them when you finally meet again." Yasopp shook his hair from his eyes and frowned down at his son, "he was dead when I saw him in my dream."

Yasopp stood and brushed the dirt from his pants before kneeling beside Nami and sliding his arms under Usopp's body to bring him closer to him. He stood and hugged Usopp tightly to his chest, watching as Nami slung Usopp's weapon across her back and grabbed his rifle and cloak from the ground before following suit. "Well, Usopp's not dead. It's foolish to believe such things."

Yasopp hummed and started moving towards the docks with Nami a few steps behind him scanning the area nervously. "You needn't worry, Lass. I can sense if others are coming."

"You're a Haki user than?"

"It tends to be a skill one develops when they are in the New World for long enough," Yasopp answered with a slight smile in his voice.

They walked in silence for what seemed like hours, trees passing them by in blurred colours of green, yellow and orange. They stopped occasionally when the need to change Usopp's bandages arose or when he woke up and freaked out, a high fever causing him to be delusional. He had almost knocked Yasopp out a couple of times but stopped, always falling back into unconsciousness before any damage could be done, and they would soon be able to continue their journey once more.

o0o

"Oi! Crap-Captain, stop pacing would you?!" Sanji snapped from his position beside the kitchen door. Luffy had been pacing in front of him mumbling under his breath for the better part of an hour and it was starting to get on his nerves. Sighing, Luffy jumped up onto the banister of the stairs his arms stretching to grab Chopper who was slumbering against the wall near him and hugging the reindeer tightly to his chest.

"But Sanji," Luffy whined, "it's been almost five hours!"

Chopper, awoken by Luffy's abrupt grabbing, held tightly to Luffy's arms and looked up at him with wide eyes, "m-maybe we should go look for them?" He whimpered questioningly, "what if they're really hurt?"

Sanji sucked hard on the end of his cigarette and slowly let the smoke out of his nose, "as much as I would love to be with Nami-swan right now, they can both take care of themselves. They are an unbeatable team when together, no one can beat them."

"But it's getting really dark and the Marines are everywhere looking for us! So are other pirates! What if someone catches them and brings them to the Head Quarters here?!"

"Worrying will get us nowhere," the small group looked up to where Robin appeared on the floor above them. "We need to stay calm and out of sight so we don't get caught. If we get caught we will have to move and they will never be able to find us."

"Usopp may be a coward at times, but he is on this crew because he is as capable as the rest of us," Zoro reminded them. They all turned to where he was leaning against the Mast. His arms were tightly crossed across his chest and his good eye was closed. Had they not known Zoro as well as they did, they would have all assumed he was sleep-talking.

Luffy nodded at his swordsman, but his eyes didn't leave the spot where the woods met the port. There was movement from the woods that made Luffy jump to his feet and squint, "there's someone there!" He announced, jumping down from the banister and laughing joyously, spinning Chopper across the lawn, "maybe they're home!"

Sanji squinted, "Nami-swan!" he exclaimed, twirling towards the railing of the ship.

"Oi, Nami! Where's Usopp!?" Luffy asked, jumping onto the railing beside Sanji and staring down at her curiously.

"Chopper!" Nami called, ignoring her cremates' inquiries, "bring your medical supplies for gunshot wounds and come down we need to get to Usopp now. I can't move him anymore!"

"You left him alone?!" Zoro snapped at her, jumping up from his place beside the mast and walking over to where Luffy, Chopper and Sanji were.

Nami crossed her arms, her eyes flashing dangerously, "do you think I'm stupid?!"

"Where's Usopp, Nami?" Luffy asked seriously, jumping off the ship and landing neatly beside her.

Nami leaned towards him and whispered, "He's with his father."

"Eh? Yasopp's here?"

"Who's Yasopp?" Zoro asked landing beside the two with Chopper on his shoulders, followed by Robin and Sanji.

"Isn't that Longnose's father?"

"Yes, but we need to go now," Nami said, "we were almost here and he got really bad, we just couldn't move him anymore."

"Show us the way," Luffy commanded heading the group off towards the woods, causing Nami to hurry her steps in order to lead the group towards the small path where Yasopp was leaning over Usopp trying to resuscitate his son. "Usopp!" Luffy ran full speed to his friend's side and frantically looked him over, "what the hell happened to him?!"

"He's stopped breathing, I got him to start breathing again for a minute but then he stopped again!" Yasopp replied frantically, before he leaned over his son again. "Come on… you've come this far, your crew is here, don't give up on me now, Usopp." Yasopp leaned down and pressed a kiss to Usopp's clammy forehead, "You need to be okay, Usopp. Just hold on."

"Luffy, Move!" Chopper commanded, pushing the boy to the side so that he could get to Usopp. He pulled his medical bag off his back and laid it open on the floor beside him. He rummaged through it for a moment before pulling a vial of liquid out. He gently lifted Usopp's head and slipped the bottle into his mouth, pouring the medicine in. Gently he dropped the bottle and rubbed Usopp's throat to make sure the concoction went down. "That should help us get him breathing again." Chopper looked up, his eyes boring into Yasopp's, "I need you to blow into his mouth every time I say breathe, make sure you hold his nose closed when you do so." Chopper moved Usopp's shirt away from his chest, "ready?"

"Aye, I got it."

"28…29…30 breathe," Yasopp held his son's nose and breathed into his mouth before pulling back and waiting for the next signal. "28…29…30 breathe," Yasopp repeated the motion, pushing back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

Nami had fallen to the ground at Luffy's feet. She had her hands over her mouth as tears poured down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head, "…no… Usopp, come on."

"28…29…30 breathe," Yasopp breathed into Usopp's mouth again and pulled back, unable to keep a sob from escaping.

Sanji's hands shook wildly, the cigarette between his fingers constantly dropped towards the ground until he gave up on picking it up, "c-come on, you d-dam-man C-Crap-S-Shooter, I-I have t-to k-kick your ass for p-putt-tting Nami-swan in d-d-danger." Sanji took a deep breath to try and control his speech, "you h-hear me, Idiot? Y-you aren't-t allowed to d-die 'cause I-I have t-to kick your ass, you can't-t d-deprive me of t-that p-pleasure."

"28…29…30 breathe."

"Usopp, come on, please," Yasopp begged, breathing into Usopp's mouth, "come on." Yasopp pressed his forehead against Usopp's and sobbed uncontrollably. Tears rolled down his face onto his unmoving son, "please, Usopp. Don't go, not yet. I'm begging you."

"28…29…30 breathe."

Luffy tightened his fists, his hat casting a dark shadow over his face, blocking from view the tears that were filling in his eyes. "DAMN IT, USOPP! STOP PLAYING AROUND YOU, JERK! I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE THE CREW!" A burst of Haki left his body causing any wildlife and human within a mile parameter too weak willed to handle the effects pass out on the spot. "WAKE UP NOW! CAPTAIN'S ORDERS! WAKE THE HELL UP!" Tears fell unrestrained from his eyes as he hiccupped, "please, wake up." He whispered, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, "I can't do this without my best friend, I need you to wake up… just wake up."

"28…29…30 breathe."

Robin watched from against a tree a little ways from the group, her eyes calculating and gathering the entire story from just the details that lay before her. She knew what was happening, but she dared not voice her findings out loud, perhaps if a miracle were to occur.

Zoro stood beside Luffy his arms crossed tightly across his chest as he watched Usopp's chest for any sign of movement. His eyes met Sanji's and he shook his head, his right hand dropping to his swords to grasp them tightly, his fingertips leaving slight dents in the steel of Sandai Kitetsu's grip.

"28…29…30 breathe,"

Franky and Brooke ran down the path stopping short a couple of feet away from the group panting. "Everyone at the port seems to have mysteriously passed out," Brooke explained when the group sans Chopper and Yasopp looked up at their arrival.

"What's happened to Usopp-bro?!" Franky exclaimed, his hands clutching at his head as he looked over the scene.

"T-the Marine's g-got to him!" Nami sobbed, "Usopp, wake up! You can't leave me to deal with these idiots on my own! I don't want to be the only normal one!"

"28…29…30 bre-athe," Chopper bit his lip as he pumped his hooves against Usopp's chest one last time before sitting back panting. "I… there's nothing I can do. I-I can't get him to breathe again."

"What does that mean?" Luffy asked quietly, he pushed his hat off his head showing his grief-stricken face.

Chopper stood up, and stared down at Usopp, shaking violently. "W-What time is-s i-it?"

"17.49," Robin answered stoically.

Chopper took a deep breath and screwed his eyes shut unable to make eye contact with the people he failed."A-as of 17.49 on t-the d-date 18 M-m-march, 975FY. U-Usopp, Sharps-s-shooter of the Straw H-Hat P-P-Pirates, age 19, h-has b-b-b-been d-d-d-declared d-dead."


	3. Unremitting Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usopp gives Yasopp the envelope

The Envelope

_Unremitting Hope_

_958 FY: Syrup Village_

Usopp ran across the fields of grass and wild flowers with Kaya in hot pursuit, their excited squeals sounding like chiming bells as they played under the midsummer sun. "Usopp, wait up!" Kaya called, giggling as she grabbed onto his shirt, a pout painting her face when he had somehow moved out of the way before she could get a secure hold on it. "No fair! Let me catch you!"

Usopp turned and stuck out his tongue, "nah-uh." He took off towards his parents, his slingshot clutched tightly in his left hand. Just when he was about to reach his parents however, he was tackled to the floor. "No!" he laughed hysterically as Kaya began tickling him, "no! It's got me, no!"

Bachina and Yasopp chuckled as they watched from the front porch of their modest home. Yasopp shifted so that he was behind Bachina and hugged her close to his body, his chin landing on her shoulder as he watched the two children play in the grass. "Kaya's parents are going to kill us for allowing her to get her white dress all grass stained."

Bachina laughed and looked up at her husband before pressing her forehead against his cheek, "today is a special day. I am sure our friends would understand." Yasopp's arms tightened around Bachina's waist causing her to sigh, "Yasopp, we've been over this."

"But-" Bachina turned and leaned up to press her lips firmly against Yasopp's. They held it for a long moment before she pulled away and sternly looked him in the eyes, "stop."

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Auntie Bachina! Uncle Yasopp!"

The two adults turned just in time to catch the two small children who jumped at them causing the four of them to sprawl across the porch floor in a mix of laughter and limbs. Yasopp sat up on his elbows and stared down at his energetic son, "yes?" Bachina had hugged Kaya close as she sat up, positioning the girl comfortably in her lap.

Usopp grinned and hugged Yasopp, "just wanted to say hi!"

Kaya snuggled against Bachina and yawned, "Usopp wanted to know if Uncle could put out some bottles for him to shoot at until Mommy and Daddy get here."

Usopp pouted, "No fair, Kaya! _I_ wanted to ask."

"You took too long," Kaya retorted, sticking out her tongue.

Yasopp chuckled, and stood carrying Usopp tightly in his arms as he walked into the house, "we didn't throw out those glass bottles yet right, Bachina?" He called over his shoulder, his head just peaking out the front door to look at his wife.

Bachina frowned for a moment in thought before shaking her head, "I believe they are under the kitchen sink."

There was some rummaging as Yasopp went through the recyclable can under the sink, and the clink of glass against marble as he placed them on the counter. "Three bottles for now, eh, Usopp?" Yasopp asked pulling Usopp back into his arms from where he had sat him against the sink and grabbing the bottles from the counter, carrying them both back out to the porch.

Usopp nodded and grinned happily, "okay, Daddy!"

Yasopp bent down to place Usopp on the top steps beside his Mother and walked over to their gate not too far from the porch. He lifted his head towards the sky, his eyes squinting against the summer sun before be placed the bottles down on the gate about five inches between each one. Thoughtfully he studied the rocks that lay against their gate, smiling to himself as he picked up five stones that would be perfect for Usopp to use.

He looked up at the sky once more, his gaze falling towards the ocean where a ship lay dormant close to their island. He could just make out the small rowboat that was making its way towards Syrup Village's shoreline. He sighed to himself and trained a smile onto his face as he handed Usopp the stones he had collected. He sat back down beside Kaya and Bachina, and gave his wife a kiss on the forehead before turning his attention to Usopp. "Remember what I taught you?" Yasopp attempted to keep his tone light and teasing, but if one were to listen carefully they could hear a slight stuttering in his words.

Usopp puffed his cheeks at his father, "of course! I'm not a baby, Daddy." He reminded him in a slightly snooty tone, "Only babies forget stuff like that."

Yasopp chuckled softly, "of course, I apologize."

Usopp puffed up his cheeks again this time his attention on the bottles on top of the gate. He squinted and pulled the at the slingshot band, careful to not punch himself in the face like he had the last time, that had been embarrassing! He sucked in a breath and let the first rock go. It hit the neck of the first bottle before falling harmlessly on the ground before the gate.

"Good try, Usopp," Yasopp encouraged, "try aiming down a little bit more and towards the right where that tree is. It's a little bit windy so that will make the rock move to where you want it to."

Usopp turned to him with a look of sheer confusion, "what?"

Yasopp stood and knelt beside his son, his hands coming up to hold Usopp's, "see that spot right there? Where you can just see that rock?" Usopp nodded his head. "Good, I want you to aim at that."

"But I want to hit the bottle," Usopp pouted.

"Trust me," Yasopp smiled and squeezed his son's hands in his own before standing up and crossing his arms across his chest as he watched.

"Okay," Usopp muttered under his breath before doing what he was told. His eyes widened when he hit the bottle perfectly causing it to shatter. "I DID IT!" He threw his slingshot up into the air, and it fell straight down hitting him on the forehead. Bachina winced and leaned towards the left to see around Yasopp in order to get a better look at Usopp. There was no reason to worry as Usopp was perfectly fine. He merely rubbed the spot where the weapon had hit him. He had eyed the slingshot with slight weariness in his eyes before picking it up from where it had fallen at his feet.

"Excellent, Usopp!" Yasopp clapped his hands, distracting his son from his injury. "Now do the very same thing but this time I want you to aim at the broken glass," Yasopp instructed, pointing towards the bottle Usopp had just broken.

Usopp once again did what he was told and gave a 'woop!' when he hit the bottle, causing that one too shatter as well.

"Someone's going to be an excellent sniper when they grow up." The group looked up towards the voice, and Usopp scrambled back until he was hidden behind his father's legs. His fingers held tightly to Yasopp's pants leg as he peered at the man from behind his father. "W-who are you?" Usopp asked, his fingers twisting nervously into the cloth between his fingers.

"My name is Shanks," the man replied, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with Usopp. He smiled sweetly and offered his hand, which Usopp took after a moment of hesitation. "I've come to speak to your father."

Usopp looked up at his father with wide curious eyes. Yasopp smiled, running his fingers through Usopp's hair to soothe his son's nerves. Usopp nuzzled his face into his father's side before giving a whispered 'oh' to Shanks.

Shanks stood and brushed off his clothing his attention turning to Yasopp. His eyes scanned the other man's face before he voiced his inevitable question. "Have you two come to a decision?"

Yasopp opened his mouth to reply negatively, but was silenced when Bachina suddenly appeared at his side and squeezed his hand tightly in hers. He looked towards her to ask her what she was doing but he fell silent at the look of determination on her face. Bachina looked up at Yasopp and then towards Usopp who had gone to sit beside Kaya. Both children stared at her with large curious eyes as she swallowed with some difficulty before turning towards Shanks nodding her head. She looked him confidently with no shadow of doubt in her eyes or on her face. "He'll go with you."

o0o

_18 March, 975FY_

"I-I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do, he just won't start breathing again." Chopper looked down at the fallen sniper and sobbed, "I-I'm so sorry, Usopp!"

"NO! USOPP CAN'T BE DEAD!" Luffy, yelled the words at the top of his lungs and his body shook uncontrollably as he stared down at his best friend in disbelief. Large tears fell down his pale cheeks as he shook his head, a look of grief and anger crossing his face. "Usopp can't be dead. He isn't allowed to be dead." Luffy grabbed Usopp's shirt and shook him violently, "DAMN IT, USOPP! STOP PLAYING AROUND! GET UP! WAKE THE HELL UP, YOU JERK!"

Yasopp leaned over Usopp and pushed Luffy violently to the ground, "get your hands off my son! This is your fault! Had you not taken him in on your crew he would be safe with Kaya instead of dead!"

"That's going too far," Zoro said sternly. "Usopp knew what he was getting into just like the rest of us do."

"Zoro, stop." Luffy commanded softly, causing the swordsman to fall quiet. Luffy stared at Usopp for awhile before nodding to himself. Carefully he took his straw hat off of his head and placed it on top of Usopp's chest. He sighed and took Usopp's hand in his own and squeezed it gently before placing it to his lips, "I'm so sorry, Usopp. I promised to protect you and I failed you." Luffy held Usopp's hand in both of his own and pressed it to his forehead as he squeezed his eyes tightly together in an attempt to keep himself from falling apart. "Please forgive me, Usopp." He sucked in a breath when he felt Usopp's hand squeeze his own ever so slightly, "w-what?" Luffy pulled away and stared down at the hand in his own. Did he just feel what he thought he just felt?

"Captain, did you catch that just now?" Robin asked from her spot beside the tree. She had been watching Usopp for any sign that he might still be alive, and had caught Usopp's hand squeezing Luffy's own.

"Usopp just squeezed my hand." Luffy clarified for her, "but…" Luffy moved his hat off Usopp's chest and pressed his ear against his heart. There, it was so faint but… "Usopp's breathing!" Luffy announced cheerfully gaining the attention from Sanji, Nami, Franky and Brooke who were all in a tight circle trying to comfort each other. Chopper searched Usopp's body for signs that he might have missed, but upon finding none he frowned.

Nami looked up from Sanji's shoulder and wiped her eyes with her hands. "A-are you serious!?"

"Luffy, move over let me see him." Luffy stood and allowed Chopper to take his spot. He muttered to himself as he pressed the stethoscope around his neck to Usopp's bleeding chest. He held his breath for a moment as he listened carefully. There, ever so softly, was a heartbeat, and if Chopper stopped and closed his eyes he could feel Usopp's chest rising and falling. He would not have long, but if Chopper worked fast enough, he could make Usopp pull through. "I've got a pulse, but we need to move quickly. It's just barely there."

Nami laughed and hid her face in Sanji's jacket, accepting the hug that she received from the cook. She felt tears on her shoulder, but she wouldn't fault him for ruining her clothing-this time. Zoro's body untensed slightly and Robin allowed a smile to grace her face. Brooke and Franky were jumping around and cheering at the great news their doctor had just given them. Luffy laughed loudly and wiped the unshed tears from his eyes, "I knew you weren't dead! You were just playing a joke on us all along! You Jerk!"

Yasopp sat back and allowed Chopper to do his job; he pulled his hair away from his face and let out a shuddering breath, "thank god."

Chopper went through his medical bag, muttering to himself as he pulled out various objects. He slipped another vial out, similar to the one before, and placed it against Usopp's mouth. "Now that his heart is somewhat working this'll help it speed up just enough to steady it. Normally a doctor would use this on one who has drowned, but since his breathing is so light it could help in this case as well. As that is going through his system I can work on his wounds, once the antibiotics are in his system, his body will wake up in order to fight it. We should be out of the water than."

The others watched as Chopper worked diligently. They winced as he went about digging out the bullets, but stayed otherwise unmoving. He moved so quickly that they could barely see the movement of his hooves. "It's a miracle that he is even breathing," Chopper murmured to himself, "I don't think even Zoro or Luffy have ever been this bad."

Yasopp gently placed a hand against Usopp's forehead, careful of the bandaged wound there and sighed, shaking his head. "I still can't believe this," he whispered to himself. "I haven't seen him in almost sixteen years and when I do, this happens."

Time almost seemed to stand still as Chopper worked on the dressing the wounds and injecting Usopp with various medicines. "They even shot Usopp's drawing hand," Chopper muttered, causing the group to focus on where he was working.

Luffy kneeled behind Chopper and stared at the wound on his friend's hand, a deep frown etching into his usually carefree face. "Does this mean that Usopp won't be able to draw anymore?"

"I think we should be more worried about him living, and then worrying about him being able to snipe again before we go worrying about him being able to draw or paint again, Idiot." Sanji snipped, sucking harshly on the end of his cigarette before throwing it to the floor and stomping on it.

Luffy glared at his cook sternly, "Usopp is going to live," he said stubbornly before turning to the rest of his crew, "and I don't want any of you saying otherwise."

"Aye, Captain," muttered the crew in unusual unison.

Chopper sighed, and pressed a needle into Usopp's arm before packing up his things and standing up. "There isn't anything else we can do here. I took out the bullets and stopped the bleeding. I gave him morphine so he shouldn't be in pain, but an infection is spreading in his hand and legs so I need to get him back to the ship in order to administer a stronger antibiotic than I have given him."

Zoro moved forward and carefully moved his arms in order to lift the sniper up from the ground. Usopp's breathing was slowly coming back thanks to Chopper's ministrations, and he wasn't as stiff from pain as he had been when Yasopp had carried him, because of the morphine running through his veins.

Yasopp stood up as well, but did not make to follow the group back to the Sunny- they weren't his crew, after all. He couldn't just go onto another captain's ship, despite the fact that his son is so terribly injured. He placed his hands in his pockets and watched as the group slowly walked away. Luffy, who had been leading the group stopped and turned towards Yasopp, "aren't you coming?" he asked, his black eyes somehow inquiring, knowledgeable and exhausted at the same time.

Yasopp smiled gratefully and began to follow them back to the ship, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he fell into step with Nami. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Lass."

Nami looked up at him her tear-filled eyes pulling away from her best friends face to his fathers, "no?"

Yasopp shook his head, "Usopp was attacked by about twenty Marines when you left. Somehow, he knew something was not right and so he lied to you to make sure you got away. He was protecting you." Yasopp smiled bitter sweetly, "I may not have seen him in over a decade, but I know for a fact that my son would not appreciate you blaming yourself."

Nami looked away from him, her eyes falling back on Usopp. Yasopp allowed silence to cover them as he felt too exhausted to try and make her see reason. Nami peeked at him through her curtain of hair, "are you okay?"

Yasopp swallowed, his fingers clutching against the pockets of his pants as he tried to control his emotions. "Once I know Usopp is all right, I'll be okay. Not a second before then."

o0o

Yasopp sat in the dark beside Usopp's slumbering form. It was well past mid-night and everyone save for Zoro who was on night watch, had gone to sleep. Usopp's breathing was steady and growing stronger as the minutes passed, something that was a plus, given how much he had been through.

He looked down when Usopp's face scrunched up in pain, and gently ghosted his hand over his curly hair, smiling slightly when Usopp seemed to calm down at the touch. Yasopp leaned close to his son, allowing his chin to fall against the blanket inches from Usopp's face as he continued to pet the curly hair beneath his long fingers. Tears filled his eyes, "Usopp, I am not sure if you can hear me son…"

Usopp shifted underneath Yasopp's fingers, his face leaning towards his father, almost as if to hear him more clearly. "There are times, times where I remember everything we shared, you, me and mother. It's those memories that keep me up at night.

"Do you remember when I gave you your first slingshot? You were so happy, Mother wasn't, but you were. I remember I barely had to show you anything before you were knocking the cans and bottles off our gate left and right, I knew you were going to grow up to be something special- and I was right." Tears fell from his eyes as he paused for breath.

"You've grown up so beautifully, Usopp, so much better than even I had ever dreamed for you. This crew you are with, I've never seen a crew that have so much love for each other; that work so well as a family, you've done really well, Son.

"I felt so proud when I heard from Luffy that you shot down that flag at Water 7 and had taken down all those Marines from the Tower of Justice, don't get me wrong, I was scared out of my wits, but that technique, from the stories I heard, you beat all others, perhaps even me." Yasopp stroked Usopp's cheek and smiled softly, "I wish I was there for you and Bachina." He laughed a bit darkly, "I love being a pirate, don't get me wrong, but at times, late at night, I just watch the moon and ask myself, _what was I thinking, how could I have left them_?"

Yasopp wiped the tears from his eyes and leaned over to kiss Usopp's cheek and then his forehead, "I may have left you but I have never stopped loving you, Usopp."

Usopp shifted and his eyes fluttered open, "D-dad?"

Yasopp pulled himself away, and cupped Usopp's cheek, "Usopp, how are you feeling?"

Usopp swallowed and shook his head, "numb. Am I dreaming?"

Yasopp brushed the hair from Usopp's forehead, "no."

"Oh, can I have water then?" Yasopp looked around before his eyes fell on the pitcher of water on the desk beside him. He poured some in one of the cups that lay empty beside it, and placed it on the desk. He carefully lifted Usopp's head and pressed the cool glass to the boy's chapped lips. Usopp coughed, having taken in too much, and Yasopp hurriedly placed the glass on the desk and gently patted Usopp's back.

"Sorry." Usopp nodded, and sighed as he was placed back against his pillows. Yasopp stood awkwardly at the edge of the bed, "I should go get your crewmates they've been worried sick about you."

Usopp shook his head, "no. "

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean, I don't want to talk to them right now," Usopp glared at his father with a serious look that rarely ever crossed his face. "I need to talk to you, I-I there are things I need to say, things you need to see and hear, and despite how much I love them all if they are here none of it will be said, and then you will go away again and I may never have another chance."

Yasopp sighed, but sat back in the chair he had vacated earlier, "okay, Son."

Usopp pulled himself up, wincing as pain radiated through his body, "damn it…."

Yasopp jumped up and laid a hand on his back to help guide Usopp into a sitting position, "give me a minute. I'll give you something to help the pain."

"You aren't a doctor," Usopp muttered, watching with curious eyes as his father stood and began opening cabinets in search for pain medication.

"No, but being one of the commanders of a fleet with over 200 pirates, you tend to pick up things along the way."

Usopp laughed softly, "That's cool, I guess. I like our small crew, everyone else does as well. I don't think we are growing much more- if we grow more at all. We don't have a commander, heh, I guess Zoro could technically be considered the First Mate, but generally, the person who gives the orders is the one who knows most about the situation we are in. I guess it's a pretty fluid position for us."

Yasopp laughed, "It works well for you guys. I don't think a crew as strong as yours has shown up in the New World in a while." Yasopp paused, reading the label from one of the many bottles in the cabinet he was shuffling through before nodding to himself and closing the cabinet door. He held the small bottle in his hand and sighed down, "probably the most naïve too."

Usopp shrugged, "perhaps, but things work out in the end." He reached up with his right hand to take the bottle from his father and frowned when he noticed the bandage wrapped around his hand. "Damn, I forgot that they shot my drawing hand. I'm not going to be happy if I can't paint or draw anymore."

"That's funny, Luffy said the same thing about you, but I distinctly remember you being ambidextrous."

"That may be true, but I favour my right hand anyway," Usopp frowned when his eyes fell onto his Kabuto, "maybe I should be more worried about being able to use my sling shot again."

Yasopp grimaced in sympathy, "there is always gu-" at Usopp's glare Yasopp laughed, "No? Not for you then."

"It's not that I am unable to use guns, 'cause I can. I just prefer slingshots."

Yasopp pressed the bottle to Usopp's lips, "drink." Usopp closed his eyes and sipped the medicine, scrunching up his face at the bitter taste, "is there a reason why?"

Usopp coughed, and shrugged, "because it's the first thing you taught me with. And if I am completely honest, the loud banging that comes from guns makes both me and Luffy nervous."

"He's made of rubber!"

Usopp shrugged, "what can I say; he's afraid of being shot."

"He's so weird," Yasopp laughed, sitting back in his chair after washing out the medicine bottle and placing it upside down on the desk with a towel under it to drain any remaining water from it.

"And we're normal how exactly?" Usopp countered wisely.

"Touché." They shared a laugh, before falling into a comfortable silence. Yasopp looked to the desk and noticed the yellow envelope Ben and Shanks had dropped off earlier that day to him. "Usopp, I've been meaning to ask."

"Hmm?"

"What's in that envelope you gave Shanks for me?"

Usopp turned to see the yellow envelope lying on the desk, "oh, erm, I don't know. I haven't opened it. It is from Mom to you. I have my own I haven't even opened yet because she told me to wait until I gave you yours."

"Where's yours, I'll get it for you." Yasopp offered, standing up and reaching over for his.

"It should be in my bag- not sure where that is though."

Yasopp 'hmmed' before he scanned the room, his eyes falling on the coat rack near the door with a brown messenger bag hanging from it, "would that be it?"

Usopp followed his father's gaze to the coat rack and nodded, "yeah." Yasopp opened the bag and peered inside, "oh! But be careful, some of the things in there can be really dangerous,"

"Should I ask, or remain a blissfully ignorant parent?"

"That depends," Usopp said elusively.

"On?"

"If you are going to be creepily protective or not."

Yasopp chuckled, "I can't make any promises."

Usopp coughed, and shook his head, "erm, well a few of them are just explosives, they won't cause too much harm unless you step on them- then you may lose a leg or two, or the bottom half of your body. A couple just have Tabasco and gunpowder in them, I suggest washing your hands before touching your eyes 'cause it will irritate them. The Green ones are plants I grow, they are pretty cool. The more dangerous stuff that contains arsenic and things of the like I keep in my laboratory/factory until we are going into a really hard battle, like a war or something."

Yasopp raised his eyebrows, partially impressed with his son's genius, and partially afraid for anyone going up against him, "okay, I have to stay on your good side then. Ah, here it is!" Yasopp carefully pulled out the envelope from the bag, and handed it over to Usopp.

He sat down in his seat once again, his own envelope in hand. He looked Usopp in the eyes and smiled lovingly at his son, "on three?" he asked.

Usopp smiled, "o-on three."

"One," Yasopp opened the flap of his envelope.

"Two," Usopp followed his father's motion.

" _Three…"_

* * *

**~Chandlure Trainez**   



	4. Yasopp's Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasopp reads his letter and flashes back to the time when he met Bachina.

The Envelope

_Yasopp's Letter  
_

_Yasopp,_

_So much has happened since you have left; it is hard to believe that already two years have passed since that day. I am sitting by the ocean in the exact spot where you left and it seems as if it is singing to me, and I can almost feel you beside me as I write this letter. Your visits in my dreams have been happening less often and I sometimes feel as if the greatest part of whom I am is slowly slipping away._

_I am trying however. Sometimes in the evening after I have tucked Usopp to sleep, I sit on our bed and I call for you, and whenever my ache seems to be the greatest, you still seem to find a way to return to me. Last night, in my dreams, I saw you in the same spot where we first made eye contact at the Academy, do you remember? It was on the balcony that attaches to the Aristotle House_ _Common room during my first year. You were standing there fooling around with the other boys, the wind blowing through that unruly hair of yours and your eyes held the fading sunlight like nothing I'd ever seen before. Your laugh struck a chord in me and I just could not look away, I had never seen someone so handsome before. I had been staring out the window at you for what had seemed like hours before you finally turned to me, and I noticed that the others had turned to watch me watch you as well. "So what are you going to do?" they had asked you with large smirks on their faces, and you merely smiled at me and shrugged your shoulders._

Yasopp stopped and smiled fondly at the memory as it replayed in his head, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "That wasn't quite the first time we made eye contact, Love." He mutters to himself allowing his thoughts to go back to that time.

o0o

_22 Years Ago_

_Curran Academy_

"Yasopp, get out of bed or I'll drag you out by your stupid hair!" Yasopp's friends were not morning people.

Yasopp reached under his pillow and pulled out his pistol and clicking the safety off, "touch my hair and I'll send you to an early grave." Yasopp loved mornings, but only if they were spent in bed of course.

"I _dare_ you to shoot that at me, you git!"

Yasopp chuckled darkly and threw the pistol on the bed beside him, "Gladly, unfortunately wiping your blood from the floor and walls would be too much effort for me."

"I'll shove that pistol up your fucking arse!" Two other boys watched, impartial to the entire thing as they watched their two friends fight. After growing up together at the Academy, they had acquired a particular disdain for mornings after not experiencing a quiet one in nearly eleven years.

"Yasopp, you best put that thing away before one of the Head people come by and see it," The bespectacled boy to the left of him warned as he adjusted his emerald tie, "you've already got detention this week for dragging 'round that slingshot of yours everywhere you go." He glared at his other friend who was still glaring at Yasopp and sighed, "Phoenix, despite being a complete idiot," he rolled his eyes at the growled 'hey!' from the other boy, "is right about one thing, we are already late for breakfast."

Yasopp sighed, "It's only the first day of classes." The blanket he had pulled over his face muffled his voice, "the teachers expect us to be late the first day of classes."

Phoenix made an impatient noise, getting ready to yell again. As far as he was concerned, if he had to be awake and cold at this hour, everyone did.

"If Yasopp isn't going to class, than there is no way I am!" Piped Alfred, the small cubby boy behind Phoenix who was slowly edging his way towards his own warm bed.

"Don't you dare move!" Phoenix turned around and snapped at Alfred making the boy jump nervously, "Yasopp is going to bloody class!" he grabbed only the edge of Yasopp's bed and began pulling on it, "even if the entire bloody bed has to go with him!"

Yasopp sat up and crossed his arms, smirking at his friend, "try it. I'd love to see Garp's face."

"Garp is back here, eh?"

Yasopp laughed when he saw Phoenix hesitate and let go of the bed with a frustrated growl, before turning to the bespectacled boy who was now sitting on the bed beside him, "he's only here to give us warning about behaving, Heracles. After last year's disastrous lecture where he tried to recruit us into the Marines, I doubt he will ever try and stay here for more than a stern warning at the beginning of the year ever again."

Heracles wrinkled his nose at the memory and shook his head, "either way, Yasopp, you best get a move on. We've got to get to the Meeting Hall for our schedules in about thirty minutes, and I want to hit the library before hand to pick up my books for this semester." He smiled at his friend, before getting up and retreating to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair.

Yasopp scoffed and fell back into his pillows, "all the more reason to stay in bed. Who wants to spend the entire day in the Library gathering their school books, then getting their schedules and finally suffering through those lame introduction days where every single teacher says literally the same exact thing like we haven't heard all the rules and regulations of the school for the last eleven years already?"

"You've had all summer to sleep!" Alfred piped up before plopping himself in the spot Heracles had just evacuated. He crossed his legs and leaned down to tie his shoes, his long mousy coloured hair falling into his eyes.

"No, _you_ had all summer," Yasopp countered, "I had that Sniper competition that I was training for over the summer."

"If by training you mean getting drunk and sneaking into the girls summer camp, then yeah, you trained." Snapped Phoenix haughtily.

"We're so late," muttered Alfred as he sat up straight on the bed and pushed his hair from his eyes. "Can we please finish this conversation on the way to the Meeting Hall?"

"YASOPP!" The sudden bark made the three boys in the dorm jump; Heracles had emerged from the bathroom completely livid. "Get out of bed and get dressed! _NOW!"_ he ordered, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.

Yasopp quickly sat up, deciding it best not to anger the boy anymore than he already had and grabbed the shirt closest to him (Phoenix's), his pants and tie.

"You're so bossy, Heracles," he teased, pulling the white button down shirt on, "Always telling me what to do.'Don't do this, don't do that. Do do this, do do that. Don't stick that there! You'll get a yeast infection'."

Phoenix, in a better room now that Heracles had taken control of the situation, and Alfred roared with laughter but Heracles merely glared at the trio, too annoyed to even crack a smile at his friend's antics.

"I'm shocked that you can even comprehend such things from all that fucking gun powder you always breathe in," he snapped, "hurry the hell up!" He threw the nearest thing to him, in this case his eyeglass case, at Yasopp as the boy jumped out of bed still snickering as he pulled on his pants.

"Relax, Heracles," Phoenix soothed, picking up his backpack from the floor beside his bed and joining his friend by the door, " _You_ don't have from now until we get to the Meeting Hall to pay this year's dues."

Yasopp's eyes grew comically, "D-dues?!" he stammered, his hands going to his back pockets.

Heracles narrowed his eyes, "yes, Yasopp, dues. You know those lovely things we pay to the school every year in order to receive our textbooks. You _have_ given the dues to the school, _haven't you_ , Yasopp?"

"Erm…" Yasopp coughed, and edged towards his bed.

"What're you doing?" Phoenix demanded.

"Of course I've paid my dues," Yasopp muttered, "I've just left it in my bag is all… over there."

With the grace and skill that only a sniper could achieve he made a dive towards his bed, only to trip over Alfred's blanket that lay on the floor and fall face first into his desk, "ouch."

Heracles, Phoenix and Alfred shared exasperated looks before looking at their friend who was sprawled on the floor, "how much do you need?" They asked in unison each reaching for their wallets in the various places they keep them on their person.

Yasopp pulled himself up from the floor and rubbed his nose, "'bout 250 Beri."

Heracles held out his hand taking the money from the other two and placed it into his wallet before he proceeded to whip out a check and signed over 250 Beri to the school. He ripped the paper from his book and handed it over to a sheepish looking Yasopp with a weary smile. "Try and get it back to us by Christmas, eh?"

"Aye," he pocketed the check and grabbed his bag from where it lay on his desk chair, "shall we proceed to a day of boring introductions?"

The day, as it would eventually turned out, would be exactly that, a boring introduction day where the teachers repeat the same things they have been repeating for the last eleven years, and the students ignore them all together in favour of hearing what each other did over the summer holidays. It was not until the bell signaling the end of the school day rang that the day took a turn for the interesting.

"I almost forgot," Heracles exclaimed hitting his forehead with the heel of his hand and stopping in his tracks.

"It better not be another book," Phoenix warned, leaning back against the cool stonewall of the corridor, "I refuse to go back to the Library before Half-Term."

Heracles scoffed, "nee, we have a new student in our dorms. A girl named Bachina if I heard our teachers correctly."

Yasopp raised an eyebrow while gently pulling his sleeve out of Alfred's mouth where the boy had been chewing on it nervously, "our year?"

"She's fifteen so I'd say a year below, but you never know." Heracles replied thoughtfully, a delicate hand coming up to rub his chin thoughtfully.

Phoenix grinned lecherously, "she cute?"

"Dunno, I have yet to see her," Heracles countered with a roll of his eyes.

"Well how 'bout we go to the Dining Hall and find out!" Yasopp asked, pulling on Alfred's sleeve to make sure that he follows him. "We need to get some good into Alfred before he tries chewing on my blazer again anyway."

Alfred pouted and looked down to the ground so that his hair covered his eyes, "I'm sorry."

The Dining Hall was full of students and teachers eager to eat after a long day of introduction classes. There was buzz around the cafeteria about the new girl who is starting in the 10th year, a rarity if there ever was one. Normally, a student entered the Academy when they were between the ages of 4 and 5 years of age and stayed until they graduated at the age of 18. Hardly any students were accepted so late in the game, especially to be placed in the classes above 8th year- it would be almost impossible to catch up with the other students at that point so the staff was strict.

"So is that the new kid?" Alfred asked when the group finally sat down at their year's table, pointing their attention to the slim green haired girl five seats down from them.

Yasopp stared at her for a moment before scoffing, "Psh, more like the new boy," he muttered in between bites of potato salad. "She's as flat as a wall that one."

Phoenix and Alfred laughed at the assessment while Heracles merely scoffed and rolled his eyes at his friend's derogatory remark, "she's gorgeous and you bloody well know it. I bet you a hundred beri that she rejects you if you were to ask her out."

Yasopp looked thoughtfully at the green haired girl who was giggling at something one of their classmates had told her. She had turned and looked at him curiously, her eyes flashing when they met his and Yasopp felt his heart skip a beat. He dropped his eyes to his salad before looking up and smirking at his friends, ignoring the blush that was crossing his face, "you have yourself a deal."

o0o

Yasopp frowned and pulled himself from the memory. Now in retrospect it seemed like such a silly idea, taking on the bet, especially when he wound up losing the bet. Sure eventually he wound up wooing her but initially it had lost him 100 Beri. Yasopp chuckled, not that it mattered now of course. He looked over to his son who was reading his letter with a look of concentration on his face. If the silly bet had never occurred Usopp might not even be there now. Yasopp smiled lovingly at his son, losing the bet had definitely been worth it. He sighed and looked back down at the letter that lay in his lap almost afraid to continue it for the memories that it may bring up, but knowing that he had to.

_The dream had faded into another one then, we were back on that same balcony again, but unlike the other, this was not a memory from our childhood. We stand there looking out at the ocean; the sun was setting above us in a gorgeous combination of blue, gold, pink and purple. I stand there in your arms. I long for this moment more than any other. I raise my hand and gently touch your cheek, and you tilt your head down and close your eyes. I trace your features, my fingertips lightly ghosting over the stubble on your cheek and chin. You chuckle lightly; I must've tickled you some. Then suddenly, as always, the mist begins to form as we stand close to one another. It is a distant fog that rises from the horizon, and I find myself grow fearful as it approaches. It slowly creeps in, enveloping the world around us, fencing us in almost as if preventing escape. Like rolling storm clouds, it blankets everything, closing in until there is nothing left but us._

_I feel my throat close and my eyes well up with tears because I know it is time for you to go. The look you give me in that moment haunts me. I feel your sadness, but also your excitement at the new adventure that awaits you, I feel my loneliness and the ache in my heard that had been silent for only a short time grows stronger as you release me. Then you kiss my forehead before turning and walking away towards the blurry outline of a pirate ship because you no longer belong here, and neither do I. I long to go with you, but we both know that is impossible._

_And I watch on with a breaking heart as you slowly fade away. I find myself straining to remember everything about that moment, everything about you. But soon, always too soon, your image vanishes and the fog rolls back to its faraway place and I am a back in our room, sitting on what used to be our bed._

_Speaking of dreams that take place at the Academy, I've set Usopp up to attend Curran Academy next fall. I decided on it when him and I went back up there with Kaya and her parents last weekend for the interview, it brought back so many fond memories, I can only hope Usopp has as many there as you and I have. You have to see Usopp and Kaya play together now; you have no idea how adorable they are growing up to be. There are a couple of photos of them with this letter. He is growing up to be more and more like you with every day that passes, you would be so proud of him. I worry about him sometimes, especially at times like this when his future is so uncertain. He is strong, but he asks for you a lot still, even after all this time. He still claims that you will come back. Always tells me you will come back and make me better, sad thing? Sometimes for just one minute I believe him with every piece of my heart, but then I grab him and hug him tight and cry because as much as he and I both wish it, it's not true. I love you, Yasopp, and I will beyond my dying day, but sometimes when things get really bad, I just wish you had stayed and when I realise that you wouldn't have, I hate you, it's brief and I regret it as soon as the thought passes my mind, but I do feel it._

Yasopp tore his eyes away from the yellowing parchment and bit his lip to keep the sob building up in his throat from escaping. He looked over to his son who is sitting up on the bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, the fingers of his left hand were twisted tightly into his hair and his eyes were blood shot. A sob escaped Yasopp's throat at the sight of his son. "I," he whispered to himself staring back down at the half read letter in his lap, "What've I done?"

_To Be Continued…_


End file.
